Christian kramer



PATENTED MAR. 6

C. KRAMER.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG 25. 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 6, 1906.

Application filed August 25, 1905. Serial No- 275,794.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN KRAMER, a citizen of the United States,residing in New York, in the borough of the Bronx and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Fire Escapes, ofwhich the fbllowing is a specification.

In making practical tests with the fire-escape for which Letters Patentwere granted to me on September 13, 1904, No. 770,012, it was found thatthe friction device which moves along the safety-rope in making adescent could not be sufliciently held under control by the party usingthe fire-escape and that it was further objectionable on account of thetime lost in returning the friction device from the safety-rope to itsinitial posi tion so as to be used by another person who desired to usethe same.

The object of this invention, therefore, is to improve the frictiondevice in such a manner that it can be readily released from thesafety-rope and returned on the same to its initial position, so as topermit the repeated use of the fire-escape and render the same therebymore practical and successful in use; and for this purpose the inventionconsists of a fire-escape comprising the novel features and arrangementsof parts, which will be fully described hereinafter, and finally pointedout in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view ofmy improved fireescape. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the frictiondevice. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation;iand Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5 5,

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thediflerent figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, R designates a rope of suflicient strength tosupport a person in lowering himself on the rope and of sufficientlength so as to reach from the floor from which the same is used to theground. This rope is preferably treated with fireproofing chemicals, soas to prevent its burning when used in proximity to a fire. To the u erend of the rope R is attached a suit- 12 suspension device by which itcan be attached to the meeting-rails of the window-sill or othersuitable point of support when the e-escape is required for use. On thesafetyrope R is arranged a friction deviceB, which Consists of twoelongated plates 6, of sheetbar a, which is made of undu steel, that areriveted transversely together and are provided with a number ofirregularlyoffset transverse pins 1), upon which are rotatable a numberof sleeves or rollers 6 The safety-rope R passes over a face ofundulating form, over the transverse pins 6, and over the transverse pinat the upper end of the plates, and over the transverse pin at the lowerend of the same, so that a slight friction is exerted on the rope whenit is placed in position on the pin between the plates b of the frictiondevice. One, of the plates is slightly longer than the other and extendsabove the same, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. To the upper end of thislonger plate is ivoted a steel ating form, so as to pass over thetransverse rotary sleeves b the lower end it of said friction-bar beingelongated, so as to serve for a handle for applying the same to thesafety-rope, that is passed over the rollers 6 between the plates 1).When the friction device is to be applied to the rope, the lever-a israised and the rope drawn through the space t between the pivot of thelever and the upper edge of the shorter plate. To the lower end of theplates 6 is pivoted a link d, to which is applied a suspension device E,which is applied around the body, so that the same is suspended whilethe friction device and its clamping-bar are taken hold of by bothhands, so as to press the clamping-bar with greater or less strengthagainst the rope clamped between it and the transversepins of the plates1). The greater the pressure exerted on the lower end or handle of theclamping-bar the slower the descent of the person, and if the pressureis released the quicker is the descent of the same.

If desired, the descent may be altogether interrupted if sufficientpressure is exerted on the lower end of the clamping bar. The lower endor handle of the clamping device and the lower end of the plates of thefriction device must be of suflicient length so that both hands cangrasp the same when de-- thereby the full strength scending and exert ofthe person on the friction device, so as to bring the same fully withinthe control of the person descending, a heavier person requiring greaterstrength, while a lighter person requires less strength. To the upperend of the friction device is a plied a thinner rope or cord F, which isof the same length as the safety-rope and which is aid out as thefriction device descends on tiie r0 c. When the person who is descendingon t e rope arrives on the ground, he opens the clamping-bar, so thatthe friction device is released from the rope. In the open position ofthe clampingbar the friction device can be readily moved back againalong the safety-rope to the point from which the same is suspended, sothat another person can descend on the rope. This quick return of thefriction device on the safety-rope forms the essential advantage of myimproved fire-escape, while the simplicity of construction and theeffective action of the friction device improve the handling andpractical value of the escape, while it reduces considerably the expenseof the escape described in my prior patent.

My improved fire-escape has the advantage that it is of simple, yet veryreliable and strong construction, so as not to be liable to get out oforder. It permits the safe descent of a erson from any floor of aburning building y the effective action of the clampingbar on the ropepassing through the friction device.

Owing to the fact that the device is made entirely of metal, preferablysteel, it is almost indestructible, while as soon as the clamping deviceis open the friction device can be pulled up, so that the same maybe-used repeatedly.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent In a fire-escape, a friction device embodying parallelopposing plates one of which extends at one end beyond the other aplurality of rope-guiding elements extending between said plates andirregularly offset from alinement with each other, and a clamping-barpivoted to the overlapping portion of the plate which overlaps orextends beyond the other and movable between said plates, said bar beingprovided upon its inner edge with undulations conforming to thearrangement of said rollers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHRISTIAN KRAMER.

Witnesses PAUL GOEPEL, HENRY J. SUHRBIER.

